One of the things that I do not miss about full-time blogging is the pressure. Everyone says, "Consistency is key" and that you have to always be pushing your content to your audience. This meant that not only was I doing photo shoots multiple times per week, I was also editing daily, and chugging out content on Hootsuite so that my posts would be shared multiple times per day on all of my social media platforms. This took a lot of work. Any full-time blogger will tell you that this ain't easy. When I was unemployed and not in school, I had plenty of time for that work. I could dedicate my days to waking up and making sure everything was "instagram-able" (this is a real word, I assure you.) Here are some of my favorite "instagram-able" examples:

1. The lighting for my breakfast - I'd take so many pictures, edit it perfectly, and take so much time crafting the perfect caption and hashtags that the food would get cold. I wouldn't even be hungry anymore.
2. The perfect pose for an outfit - I about near popped my hip out of place one time trying to ensure that my curves were on point.
3. Spending time with friends - my makeup, outfit, and smile needed to be perfect for any instagram-worthy shot. I'd spend so much time taking and editing pictures that I'd forget why we were there - to actually spend time together.
4. Date night - God forbid that we go on one of our regular dates with me in comfy clothes, no makeup, and messy hair. Nope, only the perfect days made it to instagram - and those days weren't even the most fun because I'd have on so much makeup that we couldn't even kiss without my lipstick smearing!

Everything needed to be perfect. It needed to be so perfect that I started to miss out on reality - which is anything but perfect. It's like Queen Bey says - "Perfection is a disease of a nation." And she's right, pretty does hurt.

When I started working again in 2016, it took me all of about 3 months to realize that full-time blogging wouldn't work for me. I didn't have time for the perfect picture of my breakfast - I was hungry and dammit, I was gonna eat right then and there.

Furthermore, in 2017, I really started to lean into reality rather than the life I was trying to live up to on instagram. I've talked about this a lot on my blog. I hope that you have seen the evolution.

Sometimes I miss blogging, and sometimes I don't. I do miss sharing bits and pieces of my life. And maybe I will begin to share more again.

In truth, my real life is messy. It's filled with cat litter, students crying in my office, root canals, and more. It's also filled with late-night snuggles with my hubby, the Great British Bake-Off, and walking in the cold to spend time with friends. What is real often cannot be captured in a photograph - authentic conversations, belly laughs from watching that Jake Tapper/Ted Crockett interview, tearful heart-to-hearts over coffee as we whispered "Me, too", and more. That cannot be captured for instagram.

I think I would blog more if it meant less perfection. I would blog more if I can be authentic and real. I'd blog more if I can ramble. I'd blog more if I can share a three line poem about sadness. I'd blog more if every post didn't need a perfect picture in order to be "eye-catching" for the masses. And perhaps, that is where the secret lies. If I can be bold enough to show my real, authentic, not-instagram-perfect life, maybe I would have even more of it to share with you.

Cheers to 2018. Let's see where it all goes ♥

Back in December, I had the privilege to attend "The Women's Edit," which was an event hosted by Urbane Boutique in partnership with PRSVR here in Chicago. Urbane Boutique, founded by the lovely, multifaceted entrepreneur Carlisha Hartzog, is a lifestyle brand that focuses on women's ready-to-wear, leather goods, and travel accessories. PRSVR is a lifestyle brand that caters to men, with impeccable urban style. The pairing of these two brands at the PRSVR flagship location was a match made in heaven! There were mimosas, manicures, and massages. And the clothes were to DIE for. I snapchatted the entire night there (are you following me on Snapchat? If not, you're missing out!)

I received a few goodies that I could not wait to do an unboxing post for!


First, how adorable is this packaging? Seriously?!


This canteen and makeup bag were right on time, as I was in need of both LOL.


This glossy, sleek canteen is called a "corkcicle" and it has triple insulation and a vacuum seal! It can hold up to 16 oz. and keeps beverages cold for up to 25 hours, and hot for 12. I just LOVE that so much! I drink a lot of water and a lot of coffee. This will be perfect for both! You can pick this baby up in this gloss pink color, or brushed copper, brushed steel, gloss white, gloss turquoise, or brushed spider red.


The makeup bag is the perfect size and included a few travel goodies. Plus there is a pack of static nails, which I've never used before, but I'm excited to try! Apparently these last for up to 18 days, so I'll report back to let you know how I get along with them.

In addition to these lifestyle items, Urbane has a beautiful arrangement of women's clothing items. I'm currently lusting after this dope trench.

Also, as mentioned PRSVR also has some bomb men's clothing. I've been eyeing this jacket for bae.


Once again, a HUGE thanks to Carlisha and the Urbane Boutique team and PRSVR for hosting us. I'm looking forward to seeing more from these dope brands ♥

Recently, I went into a Rainbow shop to browse around and I came upon this gorgeous denim dress. I immediately started getting all kinds of winter overalls/denim jumpsuit kinda vibes from it. I just had to have it! But, when I got to the rack, I noticed that this dress was several sizes too big for me. Bummer...I hesitantly started to return it to its rack and let the search continue.

But then I started thinking of all the ways I could style it as an oversized dress. It wouldn't work in the summer time, as I would need to put something under it...but it is perfect for winter-time layering. Furthermore, what really was drawing me in (pun intended, you'll see) was the drawstring. This would cinch in my waist while allowing the top to be baggy and the bottom to flow as necessary.

Nevertheless, I was still not 100% sold just yet. "Let me look at the price, that'll help me decide," I thought to myself. Any more than $15 and it's not worth it.

Guess what? THIS DRESS WAS $3.00. Yes, THREE DOLLARS. I was running out of reasons to not get it.

So, I thought, "Why Not?"


This little shopping tale is where fashion meets reality for me. Honestly, I think we can get caught up in the "rules" too much. We are often given stigmas, labels, and guidelines and told to follow it. But when we do, we can miss out on something extraordinary. For example, when I saw the size of this dress, I could've gone with my first thought, put it back on the shelf, and continue browsing. If I had let the size of the dress talk me out of buying it because it wouldn't fit, then I would be missing out on a dope outfit like this!





So girlfriends, if you see something you like that's outside of your usual norms BUT the perks add up, just go for it. In the famous words of our Queen, Beyonce: "I see it, I want it...I dream it, I work hard, I grind 'til I own it." Queens, try something new. Break the rules. Better yet, make your own rules ♥

Unapologetically,
Pam
xoxo

Dress: Rainbow  |  Top, Tights, & Boots: Target  |  Cross Earrings: Forever 21